Feb 25, 2013

One man makes a mess for everybody

Every
time I mail a book or take off my shoes at the airport I am reminded of
a shocking modern reality. One perverse man can effect the behavior of
hundreds of millions of other people for decades.

Since
Ted Kaczynski used the mail system to send bombs to innocent people
whom he targeted because of their contributions to modernity, the post
office has a limit of 13 ounces for the weight of packages put in
mailboxes. I must take books, being mailed, to a human being at my local
post office.

Kaczynski
in his malice toward the modern world has had a genuine impact on
the lives of hundreds of millions. A trivial influence. A negative
influence. But the man had a perverse effect. Curse you Ted Kaczynski.
Curse those postal officials who think that a 13 ounce limit is a
meaningful deterrent to mail bombs.

We
all take off our shoes in the United States when we are flying. (A
recent exemption has been made for children and old people.) The
hundreds of millions of people who take off their shoes, boots, high
heels and Birkenstocks every day owe this ritual to Richard Reid who
tried to blow up an American Airlines flight with chemicals in his heel.

Reid
failed but our lives have been impacted. It is a trivial impact. It is a
negative impact. But one man had a perverse effect nevertheless.

Curse
you Richard Reid. Curse all those people in the airline security
business who think taking off our shoes reduces the chances of a bomb
on an airplane.

The Japanese airplane security system does not require anyone to take off their shoes.

Comments

Every
time I mail a book or take off my shoes at the airport I am reminded of
a shocking modern reality. One perverse man can effect the behavior of
hundreds of millions of other people for decades.

Since
Ted Kaczynski used the mail system to send bombs to innocent people
whom he targeted because of their contributions to modernity, the post
office has a limit of 13 ounces for the weight of packages put in
mailboxes. I must take books, being mailed, to a human being at my local
post office.

Kaczynski
in his malice toward the modern world has had a genuine impact on
the lives of hundreds of millions. A trivial influence. A negative
influence. But the man had a perverse effect. Curse you Ted Kaczynski.
Curse those postal officials who think that a 13 ounce limit is a
meaningful deterrent to mail bombs.

We
all take off our shoes in the United States when we are flying. (A
recent exemption has been made for children and old people.) The
hundreds of millions of people who take off their shoes, boots, high
heels and Birkenstocks every day owe this ritual to Richard Reid who
tried to blow up an American Airlines flight with chemicals in his heel.

Reid
failed but our lives have been impacted. It is a trivial impact. It is a
negative impact. But one man had a perverse effect nevertheless.

Curse
you Richard Reid. Curse all those people in the airline security
business who think taking off our shoes reduces the chances of a bomb
on an airplane.

The Japanese airplane security system does not require anyone to take off their shoes.